Display rack



y 5, 1938. c. R. BLACK 2,122,833

DISPLAY RACK Filed July 1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2. FIg".1.

5 I Grtmmqb July 5, 1938. c R BLAK 2,122,833

DISPLAY RACK Filed July '1, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 {2a 3 3%; W r/Ki,

Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES?" PATENT OFFIQE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to display racks and.

15 ferent angular positions, and retained in such positions.

A still further. object of the invention is to devise improved means formaintaining the bars in adjusted position, such means comprising a 3resilient hook member.

"In order that the invention .may be readily understood, reference ishad to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, andin which:

3. Fig. 1' is a front elevation of a show case illustrating my improveddisplay rack mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the improved hook member;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the supporting beams which Iemploy;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing'the means wherebythe bars may be adjusted in length;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on an enlarged scale showingin detail the manner .gy in which the bars may be adjusted to differentpositions; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary edge view on an enlarged scale showing the pivotfor the hook member and certain details of the supporting mbeam.

Referring to the. drawings in detaiL'I have illustrated a" show case Offrectangular form designated in its entirety by the reference character Aand comprising the usual front and top transparent panels B and C. Theshow case also has the usual floor D;

My improved display rack comprises a plurality of similar supportingmembers or beams l, three of such beams being shown, one at each 55 endand one in the middle of the show case.

To the lower end of each beam is fitted a sheet metal sleeve 2 having atone side clamping flanges 3 secured together in any suitable manner asfor example by bolts and wing nuts, so that the sleeve may be telescopedover the end of the beam i to any desired extent and secured in adjustedposition. The lower end of the sleeve 2 carries a foot 4 disposed at anangle thereto, and provided on its bottom surface with a pad 5 of feltor the like. A similar pad 6 is mounted on the upper end of the beam I.

It will be understood that when in use, the beams i occupy an inclinedposition, as shown in Fig. 2, the pads 5 and 6 being mounted in ahorizontal position and in parallel relation.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the beams I extenddiagonally across the show case from the lower front corner .rto theupper rear corner y and in practice the sleeves 2 will be so adjustedthat the pads 5 and 6 fit snugly against the bottom and top of the showcase respectively and thus maintain the beams in position, without anyother fastening means.

The three beams are disposed in a common inclined plane and each isprovided in its front face with a series of notches I. These notches, asshown in Fig. 6, comprise arelatively long slightly inclined side l anda relatively short side l formed at right angles to the side l Extendingacross and between the bearing members or beams I and resting in thenotches 1 are a series of bars 9, each of which, as clearly shown inFigs. 2 and 6, is of relatively wide thin configuration. The lower edgeof each of these bars rests upon one of the slides l of the notches I,while the wide face rests upon the side l as shown in Fig. 6.

In order to adapt these bars for use in show cases of different lengths,I preferably make them adjustable. This is accomplished by making eachbar in two sections and connecting these sections by a sheet metalsleeve it into which the bar sections slidably fit. It will thus beapparent that the bar sections may be inserted to a greater or lessextent into these sleeves ID, and thus the overall length of the bar maybe adjusted as desired. Preferably each end of the bars where they restin the notches are also provided with sheet metal sleeves or caps II, inorder to better withstand the wear.

In Figs. 2 and 6, these sleeves and caps have been omitted for the sakeof clearness.

Also in order to protect the beams i from excessive wear, the front facethereof is preferably provided with a metal strip i as shown in Fig. 7,this strip following around the contour of the notches. Thus at everypoint of engagement between the bars and beams, there is a metal tometal contact.

Each of. the bars 9 is rotatable about its lower edge into any one ofseveral different angular positions, as illustrated in dotted lines inFigs. 2 and 6.

In order to hold the bars in these various angular positions, I havedevised a novel hook member l2, shown in perspective in Fig. 3. Thishook member is preferably made of one piece of resilient wire bent asshown. It consists of a pair of parallel elements unit by a loop I72 atone end. Each element comprises a relatively short arm i2 and arelatively long arm l2 disposed at substantial right angles to eachother, the end of the long arm being reversely bent to form a hook I2Adjacent each short arm l2 the wire is bent to form an eye E2, the twoeyes being in alignment so that a pivot pin may be passed through them.

One of these hook members is provided for each notch in each beam, andthe hook member is pivotally mounted on a bolt or pin l3, passingthrough a hole 8 in the beam 8 and secured in position by means of asuitable nut it.

In one position of the parts as shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 6,each bar 9 rests in the notches l, with the hook member i2 engaged overit. There is, however, considerable clearance between the hook !2 andthe'upper edge of the bar in this position. The bar is maintained inthis position by gravity.

When, however, the bar is rotated about its lower edge in the notch 2',its upper edge rapidly approaches the hook I2 and, when it reaches aposition in which the plane of the bar passes through the pivot is, asindicated by the broken line 11; in Fig. 6, the hook member will havebeen bent or stretched as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the hook l2bearing upon the upper edge of the bar and holding it under tension. Itwill be noted that the pivot point of each hook member I2 is offsettransversely of the beam i from the lower edge of the notch 1. Thus, dueto the eccentric relation between the pivot points of the bar and thehook member, the relative position of these parts is changed as the baris rotated, The upper edge of the bar first engages the hook I2 and thenforces this hook outwardly as the angular movement of the bar continues,thus tending to stretch or straighten the hook member at the anglebetween the elements l2 and I2 and placing the same under tension. Thiswill be readily understood by reference to the broken line 2 indicatingthe are through which the end of the hook member would normally move.This are is struck about the pivot 53 as a center, but it will be seenthat when the bar reaches the first angular position, the outer end ofthe hook member has been forced by the bar 9 a considerable distance outbeyond this arc. From the foregoing, it will be understood that as thebar is rotated, the hook member is placed under tension, and that thistension reaches a maximum at the first dotted line position, in whichthe plane of the bar passes through the pivot 93, as shown by the brokenline w. When in this position, the bar is resiliently held inequilibrium by the tension of the hook member, and will remain in suchposition.

It is also possible to rotate the bar 9 still further into the seconddotted line position, in which the lower portion of its side face restsagainst the shoulder 1 of the notch 1, while its edge rests squarelyagainst the side I of such notch. In this position, it will be seen thatthe hook member I2 is still under tension and thus serves to maintainthe bar in such position.

To summarize, therefore, it will be seen that each of the bars mayoccupy three different angular positions, the bars being held in thefirst position by gravity and in the other two positions by the tensionof the resilient hook member. It will also be noted that the first andlast positions of the bar are approximately 90 apart.

The advantage of being able to rotate the bars 9 about their lower edgesand maintain them in different angular positions as described, is thatthe ties or hosiery supported thereby may be presented to the customersview at a difierent angle, thus causing the light to produce differenteffects on the merchandise. Swinging the bars out to the third positionalso greatly facilitates placing the articles in position thereon. Itwill thus be seen that I have provided a very simple and effective rackfor displaying various small articles of clothing in an attractivemanner, and it is thought that the many advantages of the invention willbe readily appreciated by those familiar with such matters.

What I claim is:

1. A display rack comprising a. plurality of spaced inclined beamsdisposed in a common plane and having a series of notches in their uppersurfaces, each notch having a shoulder at its lower end, a series ofrelatively thin and wide horizontal bars extending across said beams andsupported in said notches by one edge engaging said shoulder, said barsbeing rotatable about said edge, and means carried by said beams formaintaining each of said bars in any one of a plurality of differentangular positions with respect to said beams.

2. A display rack comprising a plurality of spaced inclined beamsdisposed in a common plane and having a series of notches in their uppersurfaces, each notch having a shoulder at its lower end, a series ofrelatively thin and wide horizontal bars extending across said beams andsupported in said notches against said shoulder, said bars beingrotatable in said notches about one edge, and resilient means connectedwith said beams for maintaining each of said bars in any one of aplurality of diiferent angular positions with respect to said beams.

3. In a display rack, the combination with a pair of supporting beamshaving notches in one face, of a relatively wide and thin bar carried incorresponding notches of both beams and rotatable therein about oneedge, and a resilient hook member engaging the other edge of said barand pivotally mounted on each beam, the pivotal point of said hookmembers being eccentric to the edge of the bar which rests in saidnotches, whereby, as said bar is rotated, the tension on said resilienthook is increased.

4. In a display rack, the combination with a pair of supporting beamshaving notches in one face, of a relatively wide and thin bar carried incorresponding notches of both beams and rotatable therein about oneedge, and a resilient hook member engaging the other edge of said barand pivotally mounted on each beam, the pivotal point of said hookmembers being displaced transversely of the beam from said notch,whereby, when said bar is rotated, a tension is created which increasesto a maximum at the point where the plane of the bar passes through thehook pivots, at which point the bar is held in equilibrium.

5. In a display rack, the combination with a pair of supporting beamshaving notches in one face, of a relatively wide and thin bar carried incorresponding notches of both beams and rotatable therein about oneedge, and a resilient hook member having a portion engaging the otheredge of said bar and having another portion disposed at substantialright angles to the first and pivotally mounted on one of said beams ata point displaced transversely of the beam from said notch, whereby, assaid bar is rotated, it reaches a position in which its plane passesthrough said pivot.

6. In a display rack, a pair of beams having notches in one face, eachnotch having two sides disposed at substantial right angles, arelatively wide, thin bar extending between said beams and having asquare edge resting in said notches, said bar being rotatable throughapproximately 90 and capable of remaining by gravity in one angularposition, at one end of said 90 movement, and resilient means connectedwith at least one of said beams for holding said bar in a second angularposition, at the other end of said 90 movement, and also in a thirdangular position intermediate the other two.

7. In a display rack, the combination with three parallel, spaced beamslying in the same plane and having notches in their upper face, of aseries of bars extending across all of said beams and supported in saidnotches, each of said beams being extensible in length and comprisingtwo sections and a sleeve into the opposite ends of which said sectionstelescope, said sleeve engaging a notch in the middle one of said beams.

CLARENCE R. BLACK.

